


A Place To Call Home (Fam ILY)

by bean_spr0ut (sm0l_fedora)



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Age Regression/De-Aging, Alternate Universe - Human, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, M/M, Romantic Fluff, please tell me if im missing any tags or if i should add any tags lmao
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-09
Updated: 2020-04-13
Packaged: 2021-03-01 21:00:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,317
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23553427
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sm0l_fedora/pseuds/bean_spr0ut
Summary: Virgil has been told all his life that he's different. That he's worthless, shameful, and would never amount to anything. That all changed with Patton came into his life. Then Logan. Then Roman. They let him be himself without shame, and embraced his little side gratefully. Virgil didn't know it yet, but those three boys would grow to be his family, the one place he could call home.
Relationships: Anxiety | Virgil Sanders/Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders, Anxiety | Virgil Sanders/Logic | Logan Sanders, Anxiety | Virgil Sanders/Morality | Patton Sanders, Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders/Logic | Logan Sanders, Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders/Morality | Patton Sanders, Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders/Deceit Sanders, LAMP/CALM, Logic | Logan Sanders/Morality | Patton Sanders
Comments: 3
Kudos: 80





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Woo-hoo, new story! And a single chapter in two days, I'm on a roll! I hope you don't mind me switching fandoms all of a sudden (yes I'm still working on the Putnam story, don't worry). But I knew that as soon as I had the idea I needed to get it out as soon as possible. Will this account be mostly age regression content? We'll see!

Ever since he was a kid, Virgil knew he was _different._ He knew he thought things, felt things in a different way than other kids. He tried making friends, talking with people, but all his words came out jumbled and awkward. He tried being positive, but it was hard when all he seemed like to other people was a disappointment. His thoughts were like a tight ball of knots that could never be worked through. This always left him feeling isolated and alone, and his neglectful parents didn’t help.

Things started to change a little when he met a boy named Patton in high school. He was new to the small town, and picked an isolated corner in the cafeteria as his designated lunch/hiding spot. 

That didn’t last long, as soon a short, chubby-cheeked boy with curly blonde hair, golden freckles, and the brightest blue eyes he’d ever seen come up to him. “Hey there, you’re the new kid, right? I’m Patton, it’s nice to meet you!” He said with a smile, holding out his hand.

Virgil was taken aback. No one had ever come up to him like that before, especially of their own volition. He always seemed too bitter and angry to approach, and he honestly learned to like it that way.

“Virgil.” He said cautiously, taking Patton’s hand. Patton smiled even wider, and shook it gratefully. Virgil didn’t even know that that was possible.

“Hey, can I sit with you?” Patton asked, not even waiting for a response as he sat down next to him. Virgil shifted away slightly, out of habit, and Patton got the hint, not getting too close.

They sat in silence for a while, eating their lunch. Well, Virgil was in silence, Patton was rambling about a million different things at once. 

Then the lunch bell rang, their signal to go back to class. Patton stood up first. “Well, I gotta go to my fourth period, math. But thanks for letting me sit with you!”

“Huh, I have math too.” Virgil noted quietly.

“Oh, that’s great! We have a class together! Here, let me walk with you!”

And by Virgil’s side Patton stayed, for the entirety of high school and beyond. It didn’t take long for them to become the best of friends. They could always count on each other for anything, whether that being keeping secrets or standing up for one another. They could finish each other’s sentences, and sometimes it felt like they could read each other’s mind.

Patton seemed like his exact opposite; cheerful and friendly, and always looking on the bright side. He was amazing with people, and somehow always knew how to make a new friend. He was caring and kind, and was always willing to lend a helping hand. Virgil figured that was why they got along so well, _opposites attract._

There was something else in Virgil’s life that only Patton knew about. He was an age regressor, someone who adopted the mind of a child to help cope with stress, trauma, anxiety, and a multitude of other things. Trauma was his biggest reason, with help from his parents, and _him_.

He figured he had always done it, he just didn’t have a word for it until a little after high school, when he told Patton. Patton actually had heard about it before, since he was both a regressor and a caregiver himself. They did their research, and quickly decided that Patton would be his carer.

“Are you sure? I don’t want to be a burden…” Virgil mumbled.

“Don’t worry kiddo, you'll never be a burden to me. I’ll always be here for you, no matter what.” Patton reassured. Virgil needed a lot of that, since he wasn’t very used to healthy relationships.

It had been several years since then. They had grown up, gotten their own places, and started work. Virgil worked at the Hot Topic in the mall, and Patton worked at a local animal shelter down the street from his apartment. They considered moving in together, but Virgil figured he would appreciate the space of living alone more, and Patton understood.

It was late summer. They both had to work overtime, considering the onslaught of kids that would be coming to and from during their break.

_Hey there kiddo, how’ve you been?_

Virgil looked down at the text on his phone and smiled. They hadn’t been able to see each other very much recently, being so busy and all, so being reached out to by Patton felt nice.

**been good, kinda wanna regress, but ive been too busy**

_Awe, I’m sorry about that kiddo! Are you free to come over? You can if you want!_

**sure, be there in a min**

They’ve had this agreement since forever that whenever Virgil needed to regress he would always go to Patton. Virgil rarely regressed without him, only letting himself under dire circumstances. If Patton wasn’t able to be there, he would hold off and be big until he was.

He grabbed his backpack with his little gear in it and headed to the bus stop. He put his earbuds in and got lost in the sound of 2000s punk rock bands until he stopped by Patton’s apartment.

It didn’t take long for Patton to open the door. “Hey kiddo! Come on in!”

They hugged, and Virgil was rushed in, but stopped dead in his tracks when he saw that there was another man in the room.

“Oh, I’m so sorry! Virgil, this is Logan, my boyfriend!” Patton chuckled nervously, motioning to the stranger. He was tall and lanky, and his dark brown hair was cut short and slicked back. His striking dark eyes seemed to stare straight into Virgil’s core.

“Pleasure to meet you.” He said, holding out his hand. Both his words and his movements seemed almost robotic, emotionless.

“Virgil.” He took his hand cautiously, suspicion quickly rising.

Patton watched this exchange warily. “Uh, Logan, sweetie, why don’t you get us some snacks and drinks, yeah?”

Logan nodded his head. “I suppose some refreshments are in order.” He stated before going into the kitchen.

“Hey, what’s wrong hon?” Patton stepped toward Virgil.

“How long has this been going on? Why didn’t you tell me?” He hissed quietly, straining to keep his voice low.

“I don’t know, I’ve just been really busy, that’s all! And I know you’ve been busy too. Besides, we’ve only been going out for a couple of weeks-”

“A week and a half.” Logan corrected

“See! A week and a half, it hasn’t been that long!” Patton reassured, putting his hand on Virgil’s shoulder. 

“Does he know?” He mumbled. Patton furrowed his brows. “Know about what?”

Virgil rolled his eyes, motioning to the backpack slung over his shoulder. Patton’s eyes widened in realization. “Oh! Well, I told him about myself as soon as we started dating.”

“Did you tell him about me?” He whimpered, anxiety only rising.

“No! Oh, no, of course not! I wouldn’t out you to anyone without your permission, you know that!” Patton said, squeezing his shoulder. Virgil huffed, crossing his arms.

“You know that you don’t have to talk about me behind my back, right?” Logan walked in with a tray, with a bowl of popcorn and three cups of soda on it, since Patton didn’t drink.

Virgil shuddered, looking away. He scrunched up, making himself look as small as possible. Patton smiled nervously. “Logan! I’m sorry, we were just clearing up some things, that’s all.”

Logan stared at both of them for a second, but shrugged and set the tray down on the coffee table, not caring enough to get into it.

“I should go.” Virgil murmured, quickly shuffling to the door. Patton stopped him. “You don’t have to! You can stay if you want.”

He shook his head. “It’s fine, I’ll leave you two alone.” He shoved past Patton and walked hurriedly down the stairs and toward the bus stop, trying hard to stop the tears pricking his eyes and the lump in his throat.

Patton sighed. “I should go after him.” He said, biting his lip.

“I don’t know, maybe he just needs some space.” Logan countered, picking up a book and flipping through to where he last left off.

“Yeah, maybe…”

“I have a feeling he doesn’t like me very much.” He stated after a moment of silence had passed between them.

“He doesn’t mean it like that!” Patton said, turning around. “He’s just, been through a lot, and doesn’t do well with people.” 

“I can understand that.” Logan adjusted his glasses. “But it’d be best to give him his space. He can probably handle himself.”

“Yeah, you’re right.” Patton smiled sadly, sitting next to him and digging into the popcorn, knowing deep down that that wasn’t true.

Virgil burst into his apartment, stomping to his room and slamming the door. He threw down his backpack in a huff, plopping down on the bed. He grabbed the nearest pillow he could find, squeezing it as tight as he could.

The thoughts started pouring in. _This can’t be happening. He’s gonna leave. He found someone new and now he’s gonna leave me._

He dug his face into the pillow, tears staining the pillowcase. He looked at his backpack with disdain, knowing that he was gonna have to be all by himself.

He put the pillow down, and crawled over to his backpack. He opened it carefully, and pulled out a small beanie baby bat stuffie named Vlad. He held it tight, feeling himself getting smaller and smaller.

He took a deep breath and sighed, opening the small front pocket. He pulled out his single pacifier. It was lavender with black rhinestones on the guard, the words ‘baby bat’ on the handle. A little bat charm was the centerpiece. Patton decorated it himself.

That’s when Virgil broke down. He sobbed quietly, tears falling down his cheeks. He held onto Vlad like he was holding on for dear life. He started rocking back and forth, his breath getting shallower and shallower.

The walls started closing in around him. The shadows were towering over his small frame. His field of vision was darkening, and static started to fill his ears. He could feel his heart hammering in his chest.

Flashes of the past swirled in his mind. Parents, school, but most frighteningly, _him._

_God, why are you like this? Jesus, why do I even put up with you? You’re worthless, you know that? I shouldn’t even be here, I’d be a lot happier if I wasn’t._

Then he stopped himself, reminding himself that nothing would get solved this way. He took big gulps of breath, trying to remember those breathing exercises Patton had taught him. _In for four, hold for four, out for four, hold for four. ___

__He did this several times. The static had gone away, and his vision was a lot clearer. But there was still this heavy, empty feeling in his chest, and the lump in his throat was still there._ _

__He stood up shakily, grabbing his sippy cup from his backpack and going to fill it with milk. It was a bit bad, but he didn’t care at that point._ _

__He shuffled back to his bedroom, grabbing Vlad and his pacifier, and climbed into bed, burying himself in a pile of blankets. He got out his phone and went to Spotify, putting on his special littlespace playlist. He let his eyes flutter close, trying his best to go to sleep._ _

__It seemed like the minutes ticked by slower and slower. Everytime he shut his eyes, they would just pop open again. He groaned, taking his pacifier out of his mouth and sitting back up. The thoughts were coming back again._ _

__He tried, he really did. He tried to be big, he tried to take care of himself. But he just couldn’t do it. He needed someone there, someone to take care of him. Specifically, he needed Patton, _he needed his Papa.__ _

__The tears started forming again, and this time he was slipping hard. He grabbed his phone and scrolled through his contacts, tapping Patton’s name._ _

__The phone seemed to ring forever, but he finally picked up. “Hey kiddo, what’s going on? Are you okay?”_ _

__“No.” Virgil sniffed, voice getting smaller. “Need you, miss you.”_ _

__“Oh, honey, I’m so sorry, I should’ve come with you.” Patton sighed, silently cursing himself. “How small are you love?”_ _

__“Dunno, baby I think.” Virgil was really slurring his words._ _

__Patton let out a breath, biting his lip. “Alright little one, I’m coming as fast as I can. Can you hold out until I get there? For me?”_ _

__A few more tears slipped down Virgil’s cheeks. “Mhmm.”_ _

__“Thank you, baby bat. I'll be there as soon as I can, I promise.”_ _

__Patton hung up the phone. He grabbed his wallet and his keys, and headed for the door. “I should’ve gone with him.” He said, facing Logan, who was still sitting on the couch._ _

__“It’s fine, I shouldn’t have kept you. I didn’t realize how bad it was.” He said, looking up from his book._ _

__“Are you sure?” Patton stepped towards him. He stood up, towering over him. “I’m sure. Go, he obviously needs you.”_ _

__Patton smiled. “Thank you.” He said, kissing his boyfriend goodbye before heading out the door._ _

__They lived relatively close to each other, and Patton was able to get to Virgil’s faster, since he had a car. He ran up and knocked on the door, before realizing it was unlocked. He opened it carefully._ _

__“Virgil? Are you here?” He called out, looking around warily. He stepped in, listening to any sign of movement._ _

__He soon heard sobbing coming from the bedroom. He rushed in as quietly as he could, finding that the huge pile of blankets on the bed was shaking._ _

__“Hey there sweetie, can I come in?” He asked, stepping towards the bed. He slowly pulled back the covers, revealing Virgil’s wide, scared eyes._ _

__“Oh, oh baby…” Patton cooed, gingerly touching Virgil’s hair. “Can I climb under there with you?”_ _

__Virgil hesitated, but nodded his head. Patton smiled, pulling back the covers and getting in, pulling them back over them._ _

__He noticed that Virgil was biting his thumb out of habit. He looked around, finding his pacifier near the edge of the bed. “Here, can you put this in, please?”_ _

__Virgil whined, looking away. Patton sighed. “Can you do this for me? I just don’t want you biting your thumb and hurting yourself.”_ _

__Virgil huffed, begrudgingly taking his thumb out of his mouth. He opened wide, letting out a relieved sigh as Patton put his pacifier in._ _

__“Thank you, sweet boy.” Patton smiled, holding him close. “Do you wanna tell me what’s wrong?”_ _

__He burrowed his face in the crook of Patton’s neck. “Gonna leave.”_ _

__“What?” Patton asked, looking down at him._ _

__“You’re gonna leave.” He sobbed. “You’re gonna leave just like DeeDee did. He’s gonna take you away from me.”_ _

__“Oh, oh honey, no no no. Look at me.” Patton gently held Virgil’s face in his hands, bringing their eyes to meet. “I would never abandon you like that, okay? Never, in my entire life. I’m here for you, always, and I’ll never let you go, okay?”_ _

__Virgil nodded, closing his eyes and touching his forehead with Patton’s._ _

__“I, I like Logan, I do. But we’ve only been together for a short while, so we’re not really in the ‘I Love You’ stage yet. Besides, I could never love him as much as I love you.” Patton assured._ _

__“Really?” Virgil asked, wide eyed._ _

__“Really really. I pinkie promise.” Patton held out his pinkie for Virgil to take, which he did with a small smile._ _

__Patton laughed. “Now, what do you wanna do? Do you wanna watch some TV, or?”_ _

__“Take a nap.” Virgil mumbled, eyes finally heavy enough to close._ _

__“Alright kiddo, you take a nap. I’ll be right here with you.” Patton murmured, holding Virgil close and gently petting his hair._ _

__Virgil hummed, snuggling up as close as he could. His breathing steadied, and he fell into a safe lull of listening to Patton’s heartbeat. His smell and his touch filled him with a cozy feeling of warmth. “Love you Papa.”_ _

__Patton smiled, heart melting. He knew he would stay with his baby boy for as long as he could, and he had a feeling he could do it forever. “Love you too, little one.”_ _


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp, second chapter of this is already out! I think I'm gonna take a tiny break from this to work on my Putnam fic, then come back to this one so it's alternating, does that sound good? I hope it does cause that's my plan lmao. (I also have to work on a dnd campaign, so that's probably gonna take up some time too.)

Logan was never one for indulging his emotions. All his life he was taught to repress them, push them deep down inside and never let them come to the surface. Emotions made you vulnerable, weak, prone to manipulation. And he never wanted to seem like he could be manipulated. He needed to be strong, and be able to face whatever came his way. That meant sacrificing feeling, hurting, being. Emotions weren’t necessary anyway.

Then he met Patton. It was a pretty slow day at the bookshop, which was saying something since they were tucked away in the corner of a rarely visited strip mall. Come to think of it, Patton was probably the only customer that day. The only one that mattered, anyway.

The bell rang, and as soon as the boy walked in, Logan was absolutely smitten. At least, that’s what he guessed that he was feeling, since he hadn’t really felt it before now. 

He was on the short, chubby side, with a mop of curly blonde hair on his head, and clear blue eyes that could be seen from a mile away. With every step he took the room seemed to glow a little bit brighter, and Logan swore he started hearing birds chirping in the distance.

The boy peeked around for a bit, an awed smile plastered over his face. “Oh, hello there! I’m Patton!” He held out his hand, after noticing Logan behind the counter.

The world seemed to stop for a second. All Logan could process was Patton’s bright smile. He forgot how to breathe, he forgot how to _think,_ and he was _always_ thinking.

“L-Logan.” He managed to stutter out, taking Patton’s hand. It was soft, and warm. 

“Well, it’s very nice to meet you, Logan!” Patton smiled. “So, I’m looking for a new cookbook, and I thought of going to Bookman’s, but I always go there and they never seem to have new stuff, so I just thought I’d look at some other places in town, and…”

Everything else around Logan started to blur, including Patton’s voice. He was only able to focus on the way Patton’s mouth moved and hands wavered when he talked. He was getting lightheaded, and knots were forming in his stomach.

“Wow, I really love this place, it’s so cozy!” Patton giggled, having moved further into the store. That snapped Logan’s attention back to reality, and they stared at each other for a few moments.

“I’m sorry, you wanted a cookbook, you said?” Logan said, stepping up from behind the counter. He led Patton over to that section, a little corner near the back of the store.

Patton looked thoroughly through the shelves, inspecting each book to find what he was looking for. He muttered things to himself occasionally. “No, nuh-uh, already have that one…”

Then he let out an excited gasp, eyes settling on an old, worn out, vintage looking book with a leather cover and frayed edges. He flipped through it, looking with awe at the hand-written recipes. 

“Oh my gosh, this is perfect! Thank you so much!” He squealed happily, eyes and smile bright. Logan furrowed his brows. “But I didn’t, write the book-”

“Well, no, but you helped me find it! That wouldn’t have happened without you! So thank you.” Patton smiled genuinely, holding the book close to his chest.

Logan’s face flushed a bright red, even redder than it had been all morning. He cleared his throat. “It was no problem, I was just doing my job.” He stated, trying to come off as nonchalant and relaxed, and failing miserably.

Patton caught on to the way he was crushing, with his eyes glossed over and his mouth agape only slightly. “You know, I’ve been really busy lately, but I managed to get some free time, actually tomorrow, so if you’re free, then, maybe we could do something together?”

Logan’s breath hitched. His heart shot up to his throat. “Y-you mean, l-like a, a date?”

“Well, it doesn't HAVE to be a date, but if you want it to be, then, yeah! It’s a date!”

Logan felt like he was gonna pass out. “S-Sure, yeah, t-totally. D-Do you wanna get coffee? Coffee’s a good, date thing, right?”

“Oh, well, I’m not a big fan of coffee, I’d much prefer tea.” Patton smiled nervously.

“Oh, oh yeah, me too.” Logan adjusted his glasses, glancing away. “I don’t know why I said coffee, it was a dumb idea.”

“Well, I CAN like coffee, it just has to be filled with other sweet stuff, like chocolate or caramel or whip cream. Like those really fancy frappuccinos at Starbucks! Although, Starbucks would be too basic, and expensive…” 

Patton trailed off in thought, then gasped. “Oh, I know the perfect place! It’s this quaint little coffee shop downtown who also has a great selection of teas. I’m friends with the owner's son! Here, let me write it down.”

He grabbed a miniature notebook and pen from his back pocket and scribbled down an address, tearing the page off and handing it to Logan. “I’m free tomorrow at noon! Does that sound good?”

Logan blinked, looking down at the note in front of him. Oh god, even his handwriting was perfect. “S-Sure, yeah. I can fit in some time.”

Patton smiled. “Great! I’ll see ya then! Here, let me pay for this.”

They walked up to the counter together, Logan almost grasping Patton’s hand. _Almost._

Logan took the book, ringing it up and handing it to Patton. “Here you go.” He said with a small smile, admiring Patton’s freckles.

“Thanks! Have a great day! See you tomorrow!” Patton waved, basically skipping out of the store, book in his arms. 

Logan let out a breath. Now that he was gone, there was this empty feeling growing in his chest, and his vision did not stop clouding over. _What the hell was that?_

This was wrong, this was all wrong. Logan didn’t fall in love, especially not at first sight. It was something that just wasn’t done. But the way that his heart was hammering in his chest, the way he could feel his face getting redder and redder, it was getting pretty hard to ignore.

No, he couldn’t let this happen. He composed himself, straightening his tie and going back to his work. But soon his thoughts started to drift back to that curly haired boy with the golden freckled and baby blue eyes.

It was gonna be a pretty hard day tomorrow.

Logan woke up early that day, barely getting any sleep the night before. He got dressed in his best dress shirt and tie, and after his shift, stepped out in the hot sun to meet Patton at the coffee shop, preparing himself for any more waves of those dumb feelings.

When he arrived at the place, it took a moment for him to find Patton, since it was so crowded already. But once Patton spotted him he waved him down. “Hey Logan!”

Patton ran up to him, grabbing his hand and pulling him towards the counter. Logan was startled, but followed as fast as he could.

“Logan, this is my friend, Remy! He’s the owner’s son!” He motioned to the man behind the counter. He had a leather jacket and dark sunglasses. Logan wondered why he would need sunglasses inside.

“Sup.” Remy greeted nonchalantly. He was leaning on the counter, looking at Logan through his glasses. “Hello.” Logan responded, still wondering about those damn sunglasses.

“Well, I know what I want! Logan?” Patton said, turning to him. Logan was snapped out of his train of thought, then looked at the menu. “Um, just a black tea, please. Cream, no sugar.”

“Okay! I’d like, let’s see…” Patton took some time, eyes scanning the chalkboard. “Oh! I’d like a honeydew with popping boba please!”

Logan’s brows furrowed. “Boba?” 

Patton gasped. “You’ve never had boba tea before?!” Logan shook his head, still a bit confused. 

“Oh man, you’ve got to try some! Here, make that two orders of the boba.” Patton turned to Remy. “Coming right up.” He said, taking down their orders and handing it to the baristas.

“Oh, Patton, you didn’t have to-”

“Don’t worry about it, I’ll pay for it!” Patton smiled. Logan was taken aback. He always thought that he would be the one to pay for everything if he ever went on dates, which he thought would never happen, but he was grateful nonetheless.

They got their drinks and sat down, Patton looking out the window. “Yah know, my friend Virgil and I love coming to this place.” He said, taking a sip of his tea.

“Do you?” Logan asked, taking a sip of his black tea as well.

“Yeah! He’s been really busy lately. I wonder if he’s doing okay…” Patton trailed off, lost in his thoughts.

Logan hummed, then looked down at his two drinks. “So, what’s up with this, boba?”

“Oh, right! Well, boba tea is like any other cold tea really, it just has these little tapioca pearls at the bottom! They can also be popping boba, different types of jellies, it can be all sorts of things really!”

Patton continued on, rambling about all the different combinations of flavors and toppings. Logan just stared, smiling slightly. He didn’t catch everything Patton was saying, but tried to listen as intently as possible.

“So? Are you gonna try it?” Patton asked, snapping Logan out of his thoughts. He hummed. “I suppose so.”

And with that, he took a sip of the boba. The pearls shot into his mouth, along with the sweetness of the tea. He cringed slightly, getting used to chewing on the pearls.

“It’s really sweet.” He commented, managing to swallow it all down. Patton frowned slightly. “Do you still like it?”

Logan thought about it for a minute. “While I’m not used to it, and it’s a bit too sweet, and chewy, for my liking, I guess there is some novelty in it, so I can appreciate it at least.”

Patton smiled, a goofy look in his eye. “I guess it’s not really your cup of tea then?”

Logan’s brows furrowed, then sighed in understanding. “Yes, I get it, very funny.”

Patton broke out into laughter. Logan couldn’t help but smile as well. Maybe, maybe he could do this whole dating thing after all. 

It had been almost a month since then. Logan pulled into the parking lot, locking his car and walking towards Patton’s apartment. He was supposed to work late that day, but he got off early, and decided to try and do something romantic for him. This was romantic, right?

He slid his key in the lock; Patton had given it to him a few days earlier. He stepped in, trying to be quiet. He definitely heard Patton, but it seemed like he was, talking to someone?

Then he heard the second voice, which was sort of familiar. He couldn’t understand what they were saying, but their voices seemed frantic and nervous.

“Logan! You’re home!” Patton smiled anxiously, peeking from the bedroom. “Weren’t you supposed to be working late?”

“Yes, but I was able to get off early.” Logan said, suspicious. “Is there anything wrong?”

“Nope! Nothing wrong at all!” Patton laughed, trying and failing to keep up his cheery guise. Logan rolled his eyes, walking towards the bedroom, ignoring Patton’s protests. “Wait, Logan, don’t!”

Logan stopped in the doorway. There he saw a small boy curled up in the corner between the bed and the wall, trying to hide himself from Logan. There were coloring books and crayons sprawled all over the floor, and a sippy cup tipped over next to them. 

Logan squinted his eyes in recognition. “Virgil?” The boy looked up for a second, eyes wide, then avoided his gaze, shutting his eyes in fear.

“Look, Logan, can I talk to you for a sec?” Patton gently pulled him aside. “Remember the thing that I talked to you about? Where I act like a kid sometimes to handle stress?”

“Ah, yes, age regression, I remember.” Logan recalled the conversation, and recalled that as long as it was helping Patton he supported it.

“Well, Virgil does it too.” Patton admitted. “I’m kind of his caregiver. I didn’t tell you because he doesn’t like people knowing. I’m actually the only one that knew until you came home today.”

Logan blinked. “Why wouldn’t he want anyone knowing. I mean, I understand privacy, but if it’s helping with his stress then it shouldn’t be looked down upon.” 

“I know, that’s what I keep trying to tell him! He just has a lot of trust issues.” Patton lowered his voice. “His parents were really neglectful, and kind of abusive. Not to mention he had to deal with a toxic ex a while ago.”

Logan let out a breath of realization. “Ah, I see. Well, if it’s that bad, then I can understand how he isn’t prepared to deal with people. May I talk with him?”

“If he’s up for talking, then I guess you could try.”

Logan stepped in carefully, not making any sudden movements. “Virgil? May I talk to you?”

The boy shook his head vigorously, still avoiding eye contact. Logan sighed, bending down to his level. “I promise, I won’t do or say anything that’s going to hurt you.”

Virgil looked up slowly, but couldn’t keep eye contact for long. “Don’, don’ wanna…”

“I know you don’t want to, and I know that it’s scary. But I’d like to talk with you now so there are no unresolved issues. Do you understand?”

Virgil tried, but shook his head. “Gonna, gonna hate me…” He sobbed, tears spilling down his cheeks.

“Oh Virgil.” Logan sighed. “I assure you that I will not, nor ever, hate you. If regressing is something that brings you comfort and healing, then I am one hundred percent supportive of it. In fact, I am willing to help out, with whatever you need me for.”

Virgil looked up at him, eyes wide in disbelief. Patton had caught that bit of conversation too, and quietly gasped, starting to smile.

“Really?” Virgil asked. Logan nodded. “Really.”

Patton couldn’t contain his excitement any longer. “Oh, thank you thank you thank you!” He exclaimed, running up to Logan and hugging him from behind. 

“Of course.” Logan smiled, turning around to face Patton. “When I said I would be there for you, I meant it. Whatever you need me for, I will be here. And if that means taking care of you, both of you, then I will do it gladly.”

Patton smiled wide, tears forming in his eyes. “You’re the best, Logan.” He said, hugging him tighter.

They broke their hug, Patton now turning to Virgil. “See, storm cloud? He’s here for you, just like I am. Do you wanna give him a hug? You don’t have to if you don’t want to.”

Virgil thought about it, but in the end shaking his head no, still hiding his face. Logan nodded. “It’s fine, I understand. If you need me to leave, I will.”

Surprisingly, Virgil shook his head no to that too. Logan blinked, taken aback. “You want me to stay?”

Virgil nodded his head, looking up at him. Patton smiled at the two, pulling them close. “I love you guys so much!”

Virgil and Logan glanced at each other, a mutual understanding between them. Maybe this could work out after all.


End file.
